We stand against one another in pain and agony.

In the midst of this ongoing turmoil, we stand opposed, engulfed in a sea of suffering and anguish.

 I find myself sitting, lost in the blurred images of cries and screams – those of mothers, fathers, and children who continue to endure immeasurable loss. Their properties, life savings, and cherished memories all torn asunder.

The images before us intersect, yet split into two narratives, two unfolding tragedies. Amidst the cries of revenge and rage, there is a cacophony of pain and suffering. Suddenly, our reality morphs into something akin to movie scenes or video games. We are witnessing historical legends and battles on one screen and contemporary action and warfare on another. Is history unfolding before us in this Armageddon, and are we blind to its lessons? Instead, we seek our own vengeance – “our” rage, “our” ego, “our” instinctive greed to stand alone, triumphant against “them” – the enemies, the killers, the terrorists.

For those of us who have not directly experienced such immense loss, we watch from the safety of our conditioned comfort zones. The harrowing events within Israeli society are, by all accounts, an apocalypse, unlike anything before. It swiftly resurrects memories of past exoduses and historical returns, rekindling deep-seated fears. The pain of existential threats, endured for generations, resurfaces.

As a Palestinian, it is easy for me to draw parallels. I carry the memories of my people’s past and present, the ongoing Nakba – an exodus with no promise of return. The scenes of Saturday reignited visions of return, sparking questions about what it might entail. Imaginations conjure idyllic, rose-tinted images, where people reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs, scarcely considering who might already reside there. This time, it was the Israelis who experienced their own Nakba.

Did this stir any emotions? Perhaps for a few on both sides. Most of us Palestinians paid little heed to how the Israelis felt – momentarily sharing the many images etched in our minds from our own Nakba. It’s a lesson in the pedagogy of the oppressed. We have often wondered why Jewish people, who suffered through the Holocaust, couldn’t see the parallels with what they were doing to the Palestinian people. Unfortunately, we tend to be blinded by our own desires, cleaving to the “us” versus “them” mentality.

Rather than seizing this tragic opportunity to reassess our humanity, we decide who is worthy of humanity. The current situation is not just drawing lines between “us” and “them”; it is shaping a new definition of who is human and who is less so – even who is an animal. As though there is a new category for the new Palestinian “creature,” ensuring we are excluded from the animal kingdom, as animals have their defenders, and we should not be among them.

If only those who were once victims could recall their own suffering when they stand on the other side, perhaps we could all exist equitably. Sadly, it is an existence built on the annihilation of the “other” who does not fit our mold in terms of race, color, ethnicity, religion, ideology, or nationality. It is an existence governed by a single language – the language of power. The one who wields power determines the rules: the rule of law, morality, and humanity. They decide who gets to live and who gets to exist to serve them. In our case, Palestinians can live only if they de-live a life of subjugation, oppression, obedience, as dictated by those in power.

Yet, there is a shift in power here, one that many are unwilling to acknowledge. A glimpse into history reveals how power shifted on the brink of the last century, between the two world wars, when America emerged as a major global power after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and when Israel came into existence after the Palestinian Nakba.

This time, it is not merely about attacks, rockets, violence, or terrorism – it is about infiltrating what the world, Israelis, and Palestinians once considered impossible: breaching the legendary reputation of Israeli military might, security, and blockades – swiftly and efficiently. This new reality also allows mobs to run rampant, taking hostages and retreating with impunity.

As I listened to Biden’s speech last night, it brought memories of the September attacks, with the U.S. deploying its troops against “Hamas,” much like their battle against “Al Qaida.” One constant through all these historical lessons is that Al Qaida now governs Afghanistan in real-time.

Below is a gallery of a tragedy that took place and continue to take place, it won’t be difficult to disitinguish the amount of loss on “their”vs”ours” tolls and size… but we can see for sure the same amount of agony and pain.